The Conduct section of the ETHICS RULE says: an appraiser must not perform an assignment in a ____________ manner.

• A. Diligent
• B. Thorough
• C. Negligent
• D. Grossly negligent

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is the level of conduct prohibited by the Ethics Rule for appraisers. An appraiser must not perform an assignment in a grossly negligent manner. Gross negligence means a level of carelessness that is far beyond ordinary mistakes—essentially a reckless disregard for the facts, methods, and standards that integrity, objectivity, and credibility require. Such conduct would seriously undermine the reliability of the appraisal and erode public trust in the appraisal process, which is why this extreme standard is the one the rule condemns.

Consider the other options: being diligent or thorough reflects the quality you should strive for in any appraisal, while negligence denotes some failure to meet professional standards, but the rule explicitly emphasizes that the disallowed level is gross negligence because of how severely it compromises the work. In practice, if important data are ignored, methods are applied improperly, or disclosures are omitted, that could cross into gross negligence, which is precisely what the rule aims to prevent.